


First Impressions

by jjbittenbinder



Category: Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Batman Being Batman, F/M, Fluffy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, hnnnn i love kory, honestly there is like the canon and then theres me over here writing my own stuff bc fuck dc, in this house we hold bruce responsible for his actions, mentions of interrogation, mentions of torture, once again i got weak and made it fluffy at the end, this is nat verse, where dick and kory are happy idiots together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-16
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-24 13:51:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16641390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjbittenbinder/pseuds/jjbittenbinder
Summary: A series of misunderstandings lands Starfire in a holding cell in the Batcave, meeting Batman for the first time, though not under the best of circumstances. Arguably not the best way to meet your boyfriend's dad.





	First Impressions

A daze of drugs clouded her mind but her immune system worked overtime clearing them out. She managed to pull herself to her hands and knees. The light above her was starkly bright, but not natural sunlight, as far as she could tell. Both the floor and the ceiling were smooth, cold metal. The glass all around her was most likely bulletproof, but that’s never really stopped her before. 

Kory got to her feet, struggling for a moment to gain her footing, before finding her balance and taking a deep breath. She groaned, stretching out her neck and shoulders, stiff from however long she had been unconscious on the floor. Her usual strength and resilience had not returned and she was left feeling sore and woozy. Her hands were bound together and then bolted to the floor directly before her. She studied the configuration for a long moment before blinking a couple times and looking back up.

The effort to stand had made her vision swim and now she was feeling slightly lightheaded. She looked around, trying to make sense of this whole thing. 

Dick had sent her to Gotham to get some important supplies for an upcoming mission. With her supersonic flight capabilities, it made the most sense to send her alone. He had given her access codes to his own personal hideout in the city, told her how to get in, everything she needed to know, but as soon as she had entered, she had been darted with some kind of hallucinogenic tranquilizer and after that everything is fuzzy. 

“Who are you and who are you working for.” 

The voice came through a speaker system in the cage she was in, but she couldn’t pinpoint the speaker at first. She looked around for a moment until she noticed a dark figure standing solemnly a few yards away from the glass, staring in at her and holding some kind of device. She groaned, trying to get her voice to work, “What?” 

“Who are you. And who are you working for.” 

It wasn’t a question, it was a demand. The figure stepped forward and Kory instantly recognized him as Batman, her boyfriend’s adopted father. She blinked at him, “I’m Starfire. Nightwing sent me to get some things.” 

Batman frowned, though Kory wasn’t completely sure if that was any different than what his face always looked like, and said very flatly, “Right.” 

“How else would I know the codes?” 

He seemed stumped by that for a moment, but quickly recovered, “What are you really doing here?” 

“I already told you, Nightwing sent me. Look,” she cracked her neck to either side, making a series of loud popping sounds, “It would be rude of me to break your nice holding cell, so please just let me go and we can talk.” 

“No.” 

“Then call Nightwing. He’ll explain everything.” 

His glare narrowed and he touched a few things on the tablet in his hand, making the chain pull her wrists toward the ground, bringing her harshly down to her knees, “I don’t want to have to make you talk.” 

She couldn’t help the panic in her voice, “I’m telling the truth!” 

“I found you breaking into Nightwing’s hideout, forgive me if I’m having a hard time trusting you.” 

Kory huffed in anger, “I didn’t want to do this, I warned you.” 

She pulled on the chains, making them groan and creak with the pressure, but they didn’t move. Just then, an electric current ran up the chains and shocked her, making her gasp with pain and fall back on her heels, “Fuck!-” 

“You won’t have much luck getting out of there, just tell me why you’re here and who sent you.” 

Kory looked back up at him, firm in her resolve, “Nightwing sent me.”

The electric current returned, stronger this time, and she couldn’t help but shout in equal parts surprise and pain. 

“It will just get stronger the more you refuse to tell me the truth.” 

Tears sprang to her eyes, their green light increasing in fear, “I  _ am _ telling you the truth.” 

“Tell me who you’re working for.” 

Her hands began to shine green as she tried desperately to melt the chains off of her wrists, making Batman tap on the tablet again. 

The electric shock ran up her spine and made every hair on her head stand up straight, weakening her to the point where she collapsed on the ground, the green lights on her hands going out. 

“Dick Grayson-” 

Batman stopped. He looked at her, took a step forward to stare her down, “What did you just say?” 

“Nightwing is-he’s Dick Grayson. And you’re-you’re Bruce Wayne! I know this because Dick and I are-” 

The chain jerked, letting off more slack as a door, one Kory didn’t see before, opened. Batman stepped inside the cell. He pulled her to her feet, speaking into his wrist, “Prisoner is threat level five, prepare the table.” 

Kory tried to thrash, to get away, but she was still woozy from the drugs, and the electric shocks weren’t helping. The computer said something back that Kory didn’t hear as Batman brought her over to what looked like an examination table. He forced her down onto it and one set of chains was replaced with another as the restraints clamped onto her ankles and wrists. She screamed, trying to kick her legs or move her arms, but she was trapped. 

The tears were now running down her face, but a needle slipped into her arm and the world went dark.

 

* * *

“Batman to Nightwing.” 

“Hey Batman, what do you need?” 

Dick was on his motorcycle, making his way back to the apartment where he and Kory were meeting back up to get ready for their mission. He couldn’t help but smile when he thought of his girlfriend. As much as he hated being away from her, he was kinda excited to talk to her about Gotham. Maybe she had run into some lame villain and kicked their butt. 

“We have a level 5 breach, I caught someone breaking into your hideout.”

Dick frowned, knowing that’s where Kory had been, “Who was it?” 

“Not anyone we have fought before. I have her back at the Batcave now and I’m going to question her further when she wakes up from a light sedative I gave her. She was very insistent that you had sent her, which is obviously a lie. So far I have little idea what her true motives were, I wanted to check in and see if you have had any problems on your end or ideas of who she could be.” 

“No, nothing over here,” he pulled into his spot in the parking garage, taking off his helmet and picking up the call on his mobile, “You said level 5, she knows our identities?” 

“That is correct, I was going to ask if you had any idea about that either.” 

Dick made his way up to their apartment, taking out his keys, “Nope. You know, Starfire was in town earlier today, she was coming by the hideout to grab some things, maybe she saw something.” 

There was a long pause. 

“...Starfire?” 

“Yeah, Starfire. You know, tall, orange skin, green eyes, red hair, totally gorgeous. I’m sure I’ve told you about her, I mean, we’ve been dating for six months now.” 

He opened the door and was puzzled when the apartment was dark, showing no sign of Kory. He stepped inside, dropping his stuff on the counter. 

Bruce sounded even more formal and uncomfortable than usual, “Right. Well, I think I know who our prisoner is.”

 

* * *

 

Kory woke up in a soft bed, which was perplexing but not unwelcome. She was covered in a thick quilt and quickly noticed the bandaging around her wrists where they were scorched and raw. She tried to sit up but a gentle hand on her shoulder eased her back down. She blinked, and looked up to see a kind elderly man standing at the side of the bed, holding a steaming mug of tea. 

He set the mug down on the bedside table and spoke in an even tone, “The headache will go away in about half an hour, Miss Starfire. It’s a side effect, nothing to worry about. Master Bruce and Master Dick are currently having a... _ discussion _ in the study, I recommend you wait until they are done.” 

Kory stared up at him with big eyes, giving him a hesitant nod. He patted her arm, “If there’s anything you need, just let me know.” 

With that, he promptly left the room, closing the door softly behind him. Kory placed her palms beside her hips and managed to get herself upright, leaning back against the assortment of pillows that the bed had to offer. She looked at the tea and then decided against it, opting to sit still in bed and stare ahead at the deep maroon curtains. 

There was the distant sound of a door slamming after some time had passed, and then Dick stormed into the room. He went to her side and wrapped his arms around her, as gently as he could, “Kory, I am so so sorry.” 

She shook her head, patting his back with one hand. All the noise and movement made her head throb, “It’s okay.” 

“No. It’s not.” He pulled back, but he still held her as if she would collapse in his arms if he did not hold her tight enough. He looked absolutely furious and driven, like he was ready to take on all of Gotham’s underground by himself and win just by sheer will, “It’s not okay, not even close. He locked you up, Kory. He put you in those damn chains he made for Killer Croc and he fucking shocked you!” 

He buried his face in his hands, “God, Kory, if he had interrogated you like he planned…” 

He shook his head as if willing away the thought. He dropped his hands and sat on the side of the bed, “How are you feeling?” 

“I’m fine. A little woozy,” she touched her fingers to her temple. 

Dick reached out and took her hand in his, gently caressing the bandages with his fingertips, biting his lip in worry, “Kory, I am so fucking sorry.” 

She just nodded, looking anywhere except him. 

“Kory?” 

“It’s okay. I just really wish this wasn’t how I met him,” a short, humorless laugh, “I was thinking dinner and light conversation.” 

His expression was heartbreaking and Kory couldn’t bear any more of it so she slid herself away from him and pulled him towards her, urging him to join her in bed. Dick wordlessly agreed, kicking off his shoes and slipping under the covers. She let her head lay on his chest, his arms around her, a comfortable and familiar position for the both of them. 

“It was...oddly familiar.” 

Dick stayed silent, stroking her hair, letting her speak. He didn’t know much about her past, she rarely spoke freely about it.

“I mean, of course it was nowhere near as bad, but, it felt like I was a kid again,” she pressed her hand to his abdomen, “In that dark cell, the...the  _ blood _ in the corner-” 

She had to stop, the tears choking her, and Dick cradled her in his arms, “Kory, you’re never going to have to go through that ever again. I swear, I will never let that happen.” 

He let her cry herself out, trembling and shaking, and he just kept stroking her hair, saying soft soothing words. 

Eventually, Kory shut her eyes, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart beat in his chest. He pressed a featherlight kiss to her head and Kory was already drifting back to sleep when she heard him say, “I love you.” 

* * *

 

 

Kory didn’t see much more of Bruce during her short time spent at the manor. She only needed a day to heal enough to be ready to fly again, her Tamaranean blood made her resilient to say the least. She caught glimpses of him as he disappeared into his study, or she saw his empty coffee mug sitting on the table, waiting to be picked up by Alfred. She decided this was best; if Bruce Wayne didn’t want to talk to her, then she didn’t want to talk to Bruce Wayne. She doubted he would apologize, and Kory didn’t really want to go smiling face to face with the man who had been ready to practically torture her a day ago. 

Dick and Alfred kept her preoccupied, however. Kory discovered she loves jigsaw puzzles, all  thanks to Alfred, and Dick took her on a tour of the place that took up a good majority of the afternoon. 

Kory and Dick decided they would postpone the mission a few days until Kory was in fighting shape again, and he even insisted she didn’t have to fly back on her own, offering her the passenger seat. 

It wasn’t until they were airborne that the topic was breached again.

“So…does he hate me?” 

Dick frowned, sparing her a look out of the corner of his eye, “No, Kory, of course not. I don’t think anyone could hate you even if they tried.”  

She nodded thoughtfully, tracing patterns in the condensation on the window with her fingertip, “But he thinks I’m dangerous.” 

He snorted, “I mean, you are a six foot alien warrior princess who can lift a sixteen wheeler over your head and shoot laser beams from your eyes, you’re not exactly bubble wrapped, babe.” 

When she frowned, he rubbed her shoulder with a warm hand, “And that is a compliment, I promise. It’s gonna take him time to get used to you. Hell, sometimes I feel like he’s still getting used to me.” 

The frown ebbed and she turned to kiss his cheek, taking his hand in hers, “I know. I’m sorry, I’m just being moody.” 

“You have every right to be, here,” he turned on the radio to some random station he knew she liked, “Let’s not worry about it anymore, let’s just enjoy being with each other.” 

She beamed at him, squeezing his hand, “That reminds me, I love you too.” 

Dick jerked upright, turning to her with bright eyes, “What??” 

“The other night, when I was falling asleep, you said you loved me and I didn’t get the chance to respond, so I’m doing it now. I love you too.” 

He dove in to kiss her, only keeping one hand on the steering mechanism, causing them to veer dangerously to the left. They both had to pry themselves away from each other so that Dick didn’t crash the plane. He snapped his head forward, “God, Kory, next time you wanna declare something amazing like that wait until we’re on the ground so I can kiss you properly.” 

She giggled, still holding his hand, “Sorry.” 

“Well don’t  _ apologize _ , just give me a second to land this thing somewhere so we can make out in the back.” 

Kory laughed, Dick grinning as he turned on the landing gear.

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> okay I know I said I was gonna make it angsty but god I love fluff so it ended happy. sue me. 
> 
> I'm not totally familiar with the Bruce Wayne character, I really see him warming up to Kory later down the line, but your son dating a super powerful alien warrior would make you nervous too, let's be real. 
> 
> uhhh more dickkory is in the works, hopefully incorporating some batfam in there because I love those dorks
> 
> reviews and kudos give me a boner in my heart


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